Cup finishing machine



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' CUP FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 660196 E E 31KMBN BY 60w JQZVZQAM,

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CUP FINISHING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 660/865 E. PyaKMnN ///5 flrraerv rs United States Patent CUP FINISHING MACHINE George E. Ryckman, East Liverpool, Ohio, assignor to Miller Pottery Engineering Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 1, 1953, Serial No. 358,820

10 Claims. (Cl. 25-24) This invention relates to cup finishing machines, and more particularly to a machine in which cups have their tops and feet formed and their outer surfaces finished automatically before the cups are completely dry.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a cup finishing machine which tops a cup and forms its foot while its outer surface is being finished, which is entirely automatic, and which is easy to adjust for cups of different configurations.

in accordance with this invention, a turning tool is mounted on a support projecting laterally from a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside a chuck which is rotatable on a vertical axis. The shaft may be reciprocated by a cam mounted on a horizontal drive shaft. As the shaft moves vertically in one direction and then in the reverse direction, the tool support follows a template that causes the tool to make a rough cut followed by a finish cut. During this operation topping and footing tools are moved into engagement with the cup by means of cams on a continuously driven shaft. After all of the tools leave the cup it can be removed from the chuck. Preferably, the chuck raises the cup into finishing position, where the tools act on it and then lowers it again for removal from the chuck. By equipping the machine with a second set of many of the elements, two cups can be finished simultaneously or alternately.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accomyanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine, with the outer casing in section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the topping and footing mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line III-41f of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the turning tool mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view taken on the line Vl-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line VIl-VII of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is an enlargedfragmentary vertical section taken on the line VIIL-VIII of Fig. l, but showing the lower chuck raised.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the machine frame includes a base plate 1 and a top plate 2 connected by a vertical back wall 3. Projecting from the front of this wall some distance below the top plate is a table 4. The front part of the table is supported by a pair of laterally spaced legs 6 which rest on the base plate. The central portions of these legs are connected by a front plate 7, the rear surface of which supports a central bearing 8. Iournaled in this bearing is the front end of a horizontal cam shaft 9 that extends through a bearing 10 in the back wall. Rigidly mounted on the projecting rear end of this shaft is a large gear 12 that is driven by a pinion 13 on the shaft of a gear reducer 14 mounted on the base plate. The reducer is driven through a belt and pulley drive 16 from an electric motor 17 that is adjustable along the base plate.

The front portion of the cam shaft carries a large cam 18, on which a roller 19 rests as shown in Figs.'7 and 8. This roller projects from the front side of the central portion of a rocker arm 21, one end of which is oscillatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 22 located at one side of and above the level of the drive shaft. The opposite ends of this shaft are mounted in the front plate 7 and the back wall 3. As the cam rotates, it causes the free end of the rocker arm to swing up and down. This end of the arm extends through a slot in a post 23, and engages the bottom of a roller 24 that is journaled in the slot. The post is slidable up and down in a pair of vertically spaced bearings 26 on the outer ends of lateral extensions of a vertical center plate 27 which is connected to the table and the base plate. The post is pulled downward by a coil spring 28 fastened to its lower end and to the base plate. The upper portion of the post extends up through an opening in the table and has a chuck 29 rotatably mounted on its upper end in any suitable manner. This chuck is designed to support a cup 30 (Figs. 2 and 4) in leather hard condition and to raise it to a predetermined elevation when cam 18 lifts the post. If it is desired to work on two cups at the same time or alternately with this machine, it can readily be provided with a second post at the opposite side of center plate 27, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 9.

The post and chuck raise the cup into frictional engagement with an upper chuck 32 rigidly mounted on the lower end of a rotatable shaft 33, as shown in Fig. 1. This shaft is movable vertically and journaled in a sleeve 34 that is bolted to the top plate 2. The shaft extends above the sleeve and is supported by a bearing 36 suspended from a horizontal lever 37. The adjacent end of the lever normally is supported by the upper end of a vertical rod 38 that can be adjusted vertically by a hand wheel 39 below the top plate. The central portion of the lever is fulerumed in a block 41 attached to the top of the casing 42 that encloses most of the machine. The opposite end of the lever is connected by a coil spring 43 to a bracket 44 adjustable vertically on a vertical rod 45 mounted on the top plate. The spring counterbalances most of the weight of the upper chuck and its shaft, so that a rising cup will lift the chuck instead of being split open by it.

Splined on shaft 33 above sleeve 34 is a pulley 47 which is driven intermittently by a belt 48 from another pulley 49 mounted on the upper end of the shaft of an electric motor 50. The motor is supported by a bracket 51 mounted on the top plate. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, mounted on the rotor shaft directly below pulley 49 there is a brake wheel 52 that is engaged by a shoe 53 carried by a curved lever 54. The lower end of the lever is pivotally connected to a rearwardly extending bar 56 that extends across one armof a bell crank 57 pivotally mounted on top plate 2. The bar is pressed against this arm by a plate 58 which is pressed down by a pair of coil springs 59. The outer end of the crank arm is connected by a coil spring 61 to the motor bracket. The other end of the crank carriers a roller 62 that engages a cam 63 mounted on the upper end of a vertical cam shaft 64. This shaft extends down through a bearing 66 (Figs. 1 and 4) in the top plate behind the back wall 3 and has its lower end journaledin a bearing 67 (Fig. 1) carried by a bracket 68 projecting from the back side of the back wall. This bracket is provided with a slot through which the upper part of gear 12 extends. Mounted on the lower end of the vertical cam shaft is a bevel gear 69 that meshes with a like gear 70 on the rear end of the horizontal cam shaft 9, so that shaft 64 is rotated continuously. Cam 63 is shaped to cause the brake to be released as soon as a cup has been elevated into engagement with chuck 32, whereupon the chuck will be driven by motor 50 and the cup will be rotated until the brake is applied again at the conclusion of the finishing operation. The finished cup then can be lowered away from the stationary upper chuck.

During rotation of the cup by the upper chuck. the outer surface of the cup is turned by a tool 75, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, that first makes a rough cut and then a finish cut. To do this, the tool moves vertically along the cup in one direction to make the rough cut, and then the tool is moved inward and vertically in the opposite direction to make the finished cut. The tool is mounted on one end of an angular arm 76 that has a central portion disposed in a bifurcated bracket 77 where is is held by upper and lower pivot pins 78. The other end of the arm loosely supports a screw 79 that extends back into a lateral projection 80 on the bracket. A coil spring 82 on the screw pushes the arm away from the projection. The bracket is clamped on a vertical shaft 83 which is slidably and rotatably mounted in bearings 84 and 85 supported by top plate 2 and table 4, respectively. The shaft extends down below the table and into a sleeve 87 rigidly mounted on the base plate, as shown in Fig. l. The lower part of the shaft and the upper part of the sleeve are encircled by a torsion spring 88 which is attached to both in order to pull the shaft downward and also rotate it in a counterclockwise direction.

The shaft 83 is raised periodically by a large cam 89 mounted on cam shaft 9, as shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8. The top of this cam is engaged by a roller 91 projecting from the side of a rocker arm 92, one end of which is oscillatably mounted on shaft 22 beside the cam shaft. The opposite end of the arm engages the bottom of a roller 93 projecting from the side of shaft 83. The cam raises the shaft, and gravity and spring 88 lower the shaft when the cam permits it.

Projecting from the rear end of the turning tool bracket 77 is an arm 95 that extends through a vertical slot 96 in the back wall 3. The rear end of this shaft carries a roller 97 that engages one edge of a vertical template 98 of the particular contour that the cup is supposed to have. The template is removably mounted by means of hand screws 99 on a bracket 100 projecting rearwardly from a hollow vertical shaft 101. The opposite ends of this shaft are supported by pivot pins 102 and 103 connected to top plate 2 and the back wall, as shown in Fig. 4. Also projecting rearwardly from the hollow shaft, at its lower end, is an arm 104 that supports a roller 105 which engages a cam 106 on vertical cam shaft 64. The roller is held against the cam by a coil spring 107 connected to the back wall. A short arm 108, projecting laterally from the hollow shaft, is provided with an adjustable set screw 109 that engages the back wall to limit the distance that the other arm can be pulled toward the cam. The torsion spring on the turning tool shaft 83 keeps roller 97 in engagement with the template. The cam 106 preferably is formed so that when shaft 83 moves downward the turning tool makes a rough out along the outside of the cup. When the shaft starts back up, a relieved portion of the cam permits coil spring 107 to swing the arm 104 forward slightly. This retracts the template so that torsion spring 88 moves the turning tool in toward the axis of the cup to make a finished cut as the tool travels upward.

As the outside of the cup is being finish turned, the cup is topped and the foot is formed or shaped. This topping and footing are done by a pair of vertically spaced tools that are swung into engagement with the spinning cup. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the topping tool 111 is adjustably mounted on a vertical pin 112, the upper end of which is joined to the front end of an arm 113. The rear end of the arm is pivotally supported in the upper part of a bracket 114. The rear end of the arm has an upper forward projection 116, through which an adjusting screw 117 extends. The screw also extends through the side of the bracket, and a spring 118 on the screw urges projection 116 away from the side of the bracket when a nut 119 on the screw is turned counterclockwise, thereby swinging arm 113 away from the sides of the bracket and chuck. The footing tool 120 is supported in a similar way. It is mounted on a pin 121 on the front end of an arm 122, the rear end of which is adjustably mounted in the lower part of bracket 114.

Projecting from the back of the bracket is an arm 123, the rear end of which is clamped on a vertical shaft 124 journaled in bearings 125 fastened to the back of the back wall 3. Clamped on the lower portion of this shaft is the front end of an arm 127 that extends rearwardly. The rear end of the arm is pulled toward vertical cam shaft 64 by a spring 128 connected to the machine frame. Pivotally connected to this arm is one end of a strut 129 that carries on its other end a roller 131 which engages a cam 132 on shaft 64. Between its ends the strut is pivotally connected to the rear end of a supporting link 133, the front end of which is pivotally connected to a bracket 134 on the back wall. When the cam moves the roller away from the cam shaft, the topping and footing tools are swung toward the chucks to top and foot the cup held by them. Thereafter, when the cam permits it, the spring 128 swings the tools away from the finished cup.

In using this machine the operator stands in front of it, and when the lower chuck 29 is in its lower position (Fig. 1) he places a cup on the chuck. Rotating cam 18 then raises the chuck and cup to engage the cup snugly around upper chuck 32 which is stationary at that time, due to the brake being applied to motor 50. As soon as the cup is on the upper chuck the brake is released and the chuck rotates the cup rapidly. The turning tool 75, which was in its upper and outer position, then starts to move downward as cam 89 allows shaft 83 to descend. As roller 97 moves along template 98, the cup is rough cut. When cam 89 starts to move shaft 83 and the turning tool upward, cam 106 allows spring 107 to swing the template back slightly, whereupon torsion spring 88 turns shaft 83 and thus moves the turning tool in toward the chucks. Consequently, a finishing cut is made by the tool as it rises. Figs. 4 and 5 show cam 106 at the completion of the finishing cut, just as the cam is about to swing the tool away from the cup and back to rough cut position for the next cup.

As soon as the finishing cut on a cup starts, cam 132 springs the topping and footing tools 111 and 120 into engagement with the spinning cup. This cam is shown in Fig. 3 in the position it occupies at the completion of the topping and footing operation.

As soon as all of the tools are withdrawn from the finished cup the brake is applied to motor 50 to stop the rotating cup, and then the lower chuck is lowered as it is about to be in Fig. 8. The finished cup is removed and an unfinished one is placed on the lower chuck. The cycle just described then is repeated. This machine is fully adjustable for cups of various sizes and shapes. It also is fully automatic from the time a cup is placed on the lower chuck until it is removed.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a turning tool disposed beside the chuck, actuating means for reciprocating the turning tool vertically, the turning tool being in a position to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the tool moves vertically in one direction, and means for swinging the turning tool horizontally inward toward said axis when it moves in the opposite vertical direction, whereby to finish the outside of the cup.

2. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a turning tool disposed beside the chuck, actuating means for reciprocating the turning tool vertically, a template, means connected to the turning tool and engaging the template for holding the turning tool in a position to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the tool moves vertically in one direction, and means for moving the template bodily to swing the turning tool horizontally inward toward said axis when the tool moves in the opposite vertical direction, whereby to finish the outside of the cup.

3. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatble on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a tool support projecting laterally from the shaft, a turning tool mounted on said support, means for reciprocating the shaft, the tool being in a position to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck when the shaft is moved vertically in one direction, and means for turning the shaft slightly when it moves in the opposite vertical direction, whereby to swing said support horizontally toward said axis to move the tool inward to finish the outside of the cup.

4. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a tool support mounted on the shaft and projecting in two directions therefrom, a turning tool mounted on one end of said support, a vertical template engaged by the opposite end of the support, means for reciprocating the shaft, the template being in a position to cause the tool to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the shaft moves vertically in one direction, and means for moving the template laterally when the shaft moves in the opposite vertical direction to cause the tool to move inward toward said axis to finish the outside of the cup.

5. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a bracket rigidly mounted on the shaft, an arm pivotally mounted on a vertical axis in the bracket and projecting therefrom, means for adjusting the arm on said axis, a turning tool mounted on the outer end of the arm, a second arm rigidly mounted in said bracket, a roller on the outer end of the second arm, a vertical template beside said roller, means holding the roller against the template, means for reciprocating the shaft, and means for periodically moving the template laterally to change the position of the tool.

6. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a tool support mounted on the shaft and projecting in two directions therefrom, a turning tool mounted on one end of said support, a vertical template engaged by the opposite end of the support, on the side opposite to the chuck, means for reciprocating the shaft, a spring for turning the shaft and holding said support against the template, the template being in a position to cause the tool to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the shaft moves vertically in one direction, and means for retracting the template when the shaft moves in the opposite vertical direction to permit said spring to swing the tool inward toward said axis in order to finish the outside of the cup.

7. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a tool support mounted on the shaft and projecting in two directions therefrom, a turning tool mounted on one end of said support, a template engaged by the opposite end of the support, means for reciprocating the shaft, and a rotating cam for periodically moving the template horizontally to swing the tool between rough turning and finishing positions.

8. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, topping and footing tools disposed beside the chuck, means supporting said tools for swinging in a horizontal plane, a turning tool disposed beside the chuck, actuating means for reciprocating the turning tool vertically, a template, means swingable in a horizontal plane and rigidly connected to the turning tool and engaging the template for holding the turning tool in a position to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the tool moves vertically in one direction, a vertical shaft, means for rotating the shaft, and earns mounted on the shaft and operatively connected with said tool-supporting means for swinging the topping and footing tools and for moving the template to swing the turning tool horizontally.

9. A cup finishing machine comprising a cup-receiving chuck rotatable on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft rotatably and slidably mounted beside the chuck, a tool support projecting laterally from the shaft, a turning tool mounted on said support, a horizontal cam shaft, a cam on the cam shaft for reciprocating said vertical shaft, a vertical template engaging said tool support for holding the tool in a position to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as the tool moves vertically in one direction, a second vertical shaft, means operatively connecting the cam shaft with the second vertical shaft to rotate it continuously, topping and footing tools disposed beside the chuck, movable supporting means for the topping and footing tools, and cams mounted on said second vertical shaft for moving said supporting means and template to swing the topping and footing tools into engagement with the top and foot of the cup and to swing the turning tool horizontally outward away from said axis.

10. A cup finishing machine comprising a table, a vertical wall behind and above the table, a post extending through the table in front of said wall, a cup-receiving chuck rotatably mounted on the upper end of the post, a driven chuck above the first chuck, a shaft behind the post extending through the table and rotatable therein, a tool support rigidly mounted on the shaft above the table and extending from in front of that shaft back through a vertical slot in said wall, a turning tool mounted on the front end of said support, a vertical template engaged by the rear end of said support behind the wall, means below the table for reciprocating said post and shaft to move a cup on the lower chuck up into engagement with the driven chuck and to move said tool vertically, the template being in a position to cause the tool to rough turn the outside of a cup on the chuck as said shaft moves vertically in one direction, topping and foot ing tools disposed beside the chuck on the side opposite to the turning tool, supporting means for the topping and footing tools extending through said wall and supported thereby on a vertical axis, a vertical shaft mounted'behind the wall, means for rotating said vertical shaft and cams mounted on said vertical shaft for swinging the rear end of said supporting means and for moving the template horizontally to swing the turning tool support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,438,088 Wyss Mar. 16, 1948 2,455,744 Emerson Dec. 7, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,306 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1948 

